Target Warns Additional 70M Customers May Be Affected By Data Breach
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The security breach at Target is even worse than we first thought. In all, more than 100 million people may have been hacked.
Meghan McCorkell explains that could include plenty of Maryland shoppers.
To give you an idea of just how expansive this is, the data breach could affect more than a third of adults living in the United States.
The Target data breach broadens. The company warns an additional 70 million customers may have had their personal information stolen. That's on top of the 40 million potential victims announced last month.
And it's not just credit and debit information stolen. Names, home addresses, card expiration dates and email addresses may all have been hacked.
"If I also have your name, your address and phone number, now in addition to using your card, I can become you," said cyber security expert Mark Rasch.
Experts say this is a widespread security issue that could cost Target big time.
"Target has been impacted. People have felt somewhat uncomfortable, some people at least, shopping there," economist Anirban Basu said.
Target still hasn't revealed how the hackers got a hold of the information.
In a statement, the company's CEO says: "I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this."
But the company is already losing customers.
"I cancelled my card like right when I heard about it," said shopper Lindsay Gil.
Others are keeping a close eye on their credit statements.
"You just watch it. And then you cancel it for the 917th time if you find that they're breached," Brenda Brendle-Williams said.
Target is now offering customers free credit monitoring for a year.
Both the Secret Service and the Justice Department have launched investigations into the Target breach.
Late Friday night, another national retailer confirms its customer database was hacked--upscale department store Neiman Marcus. It happened around the same time as the Target breach.
There's no word on how many customers are affected.
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